The University of Oxford is the oldest University in the English-speaking world and was ranked first in the world in the Time Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. In 2020, it also ranked no. 1 in Geography, Computer Science and Physics and Astronomy, the three subjects contributing to this project. The University has over 24,000 students, including 11,930 undergraduates and 11,813 postgraduates. According to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, the official UK-wide assessment of all university research, Oxford has the largest volume of world-leading research in the country. In 2016/17, 40% (£537.4m) of income came from external research sponsors. The University of Oxford contributed around £5.8Bn to the UK economy and supports more than 50,000 full time jobs. Globally, the impact is estimated at £7.1Bn.
Oxford has pioneered the commercial exploitation of academic research and invention through Oxford University Innovation Ltd. The wholly owned technology transfer company has spun off 150 businesses and files more patents than any other UK university. Oxford University Consulting is a component of OUI and is the contracting body for this project, drawing upon the expertise of the academics involved. In 2014/15, Oxford’s know-how was worth an extra £272m a year to UK business through contract research, consultancy, executive education and knowledge exchange.
Within the context of space, Oxford’s research spans a number of departments with climate, atmospheric and oceanographic research as well as astrophysics located within the Department of Physics, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning concentrated in Computer Science, Engineering Science and Statistics and the Environmental Change Institute having been established in 1991 “to organise and promote interdisciplinary research on the nature, causes and impact of environmental change and to contribute to the development of management strategies for coping with future environmental change.”
These capabilities are complementary to those of the other partners and provide access to deep domain knowledge as well as practical experience of deploying solutions in the field.